There’s an IT hub here like no other in the country. There’s no such brand in the world that doesn’t have its showroom here. There is glitz, there is glamour and there is dynamism. Why then do most people who leave behind their natives to settle here feel alienated and neglected? Why does the city fail to provide security to those who have come to think of it as their second home?

The recent assault on three Mizoram natives in the Kothanur area of East Bengaluru is yet another testimony to that fact. Majority of the local residents are cynical of the non-native population who contribute equally to the development of the city and the state. Around 7:30 in the evening, Michael Lamjathang Haokip, President of Bengaluru’s Thadou Students’ Association was at a roadside stall with his friends when three men threatened and later pelted them with stones.

“They said you are eating Karnataka food, living in Karnataka. If you don’t speak Kannada please get out. We ignored them, but they took it as an insult. They picked up stones and attacked us and I got injured,” Michael said.

“I don’t want to exaggerate anything. I feel safe, no problem. But I would like to appeal to people in general. Whenever such incidents happen, instead of moving away from the incident they have to be involved and settle the incident,” he added.

Although the 26-year old Michael downplayed the entire incident as an isolated event, an assault case was registered against all three attackers, all school van drivers, and they have been arrested.

A senior police officer Alok Kumar, while describing the attack as an unfortunate scuffle, said “We have taken it very seriously. Though it is a stray incident but this being a sensitive issue, we have taken it very seriously. We will take stringent action even if it is a minor assault or abuse or any type of verbal altercations. We are going to take serious action against such people. Reassurance that we are here to protect them.”

The prejudice against non native speakers prevalent in the state came under strict scrutiny by the centre as well inviting a sharp rebuke from the Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Expressing concern over the unprovoked attack Singh gave assurance that appropriate measures will be taken against the culprits. “I will talk to the Karnataka Chief Minister. Action should be taken. No one can discriminate against anyone on the basis of caste, creed and sect,” he said.

The attack was not targeted at Northeast specifically as it was made out to be by most media persons for the sake of publicity. Karnataka has a history of driving out people who do not hail from the state on petty excuses. Back in 1991, an Anti-Tamilian wave had engulfed most of Karnataka over the Cauvery Water Tribunal’s directive to release 205 billion ft³ (5.8 km³) of water to Tamil Nadu within a year. As the leaders of the Kannada community put it, “Cauvery is the mother of the Kannadigas, so we cannot give the water to anybody else.” Kannada chauvinists roamed the streets of Bangalore and Mysore carrying sticks, allegedly shouting slogans, beating up Tamil labourers. Tamil business houses, movie theatres and even vehicles with Tamil Nadu license plates were vandalized. Thousands were driven out and forced to start afresh in their native state. Having pride for your language and culture is one thing but using it as a justification to torment your brethren is certainly not acceptable.

“We do not live in India, we survive here. People in this national capital treat us as if we are not human beings,” 20-year-old Guira, a NIIT student of computer science from West African country Burkina Faso in the National Capital. 

As recent as 2012, there had been a mass exodus of northeast population from the state owing to a threat circulated through SMS. Stricken with panic, the three-lakh strong population of students and workers boarded trains and flights alike to reach the safety of their homes at the earliest.

One group of people who continuously face racist attacks that go unnoticed is the African population residing in this so called cosmopolitan city. In July this year, a 44-year old African national, Wandoh Timothy en route to his daughter’s school was brutally beaten and subjected to a racist slur all because he had asked two men on motorbike to ride properly. An estimated 10,000 African students are in Bengaluru and all have faced racial abuse at some point of time. This not only exposes the mindset of the local people but also reflects badly on the integrity of the nation as a whole.

As it normally happens in India, it takes a major incident to divert the attention of the nation to the social evils plaguing different regions of the country. The problems are not just these occasional incidents that make it to the newspapers but the hardship faced by outsiders on a daily basis. More than the physical injury, it is the mental agony caused by racial slurs that deter people from exploring the local culture. By adopting an aggressive and intolerant attitude all that can be achieved is isolation.

Following close on the lines of Bengaluru, there is another city that glitters from the outside but is no gold. Ranking top amongst India’s most crime-infested cities, Delhi has a record history of assaults of all types. Adding to the list was the recent attack on two people from Nagaland by eight people in Gurgaon. The victims, Awang Newmei alias James(22) from Jaluki village and Aloto Chishi alias Sukoy(25) from Shitovi, had been staying in Sikanderpur over the past two years and worked at a BPO.

What was supposed to be an argument between acquaintances turned ugly when the victims refused to have drinks with the assailants. The incident took place around 11:30 at night when one of the victims received a call from one of the attackers to come outside. As soon as they stepped out, they were surrounded by the attackers, taken to a room at a nearby vegetable market, forced to drink liquor and repeatedly beaten with cricket bats and hockey sticks till early morning. The attackers even cropped off the hair of one of the victims. The victims were initially admitted to a private hospital and later moved to Gurgaon Civil Hospital for thorough examination. Owing to the severity of his wounds, James was then shifted to Safdarjung Hospital.

The police, meanwhile, insists that the entire incident was a drunken brawl and people should not jump to hasty conclusions. “This is not a hate crime. An altercation broke out after the victims and the locals had drinks in a room. Few of them had had drinks together previously as well,” said Dalbir Singh, assistant commissioner of police (DLF). Three of the accused have already been nabbed by the Gurgaon police.

These incidents, though unrelated, have once again ignited the debate on discriminatory treatment meted out to the people of Northeast India by the rest of India. According to the social scientists, people from the northeast states who live in other parts of the country often face abuse and harassment because many have distinct facial features and are not native speakers of local languages. If this is indeed the case, then it is a matter of great shame for the country as its citizens fail to see beyond the narrow divide of physical appearances.

The only silver lining is the solidarity that results in the aftermath of these incidents. In January this year, the entire nation came together as one in widespread protests when a 19-year-old student from Arunachal Pradesh died after being beaten up by a group of men in Lajpat Nagar. The mere fact that there were millions who stood against this unwarranted incident shows that the natural disposal of the people is to live amicably. However, there are a few bad social elements existing in pockets that cause friction amongst people belonging to different regions. These are the people who fear that they may become outsiders in their own native region and refuse to accept the whole of India as their home.

Taking a serious stance against such perpetrators of ill will, Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju has assured that the Prime Minister and the National Security Advisor is planning to tackle the issue with utmost sensitivity and urgency. “Anti racial provisions are already there in the Indian Penal Code (IPC). If it’s implemented properly, adequate provisions are there. We will look into strengthening it further,” Rijiju said after meeting a group of Northeast students in Gurgaon.

There is glitz, there is glamour and there is dynamism. Why then do most people who leave behind their natives to settle here feel alienated and neglected?

“Government of India believes India is a democratic nation. Our society must not be intolerant, we must exist harmoniously together,” he added. To calm the nerves of those present, Rijiju promised a dedicated helpline and police force in Gurgaon to deal with issues of students from Northeastern region.

Closer at home, are the people of Northeast any different? There are places in every northeastern state where the non tribals tread with trepidation. The inhuman way in which a tea stall owner in Shillong was set on fire is just one example in the sea of atrocities committed against the non-indigenous people in the region. In spite of spending generations in this region, people with non-ethnic origins are treated as second class citizens and are expected to live meekly. How then will the region benefit from the many skills that these ‘immigrants’ can offer? An eye for an eye is no longer the world that we live in. If we truly care about the advancement of our people and hope for the development of our region then we need to keep an open mind and welcome the marvels of each ethnic group with open arms. We as a community need to break the myth that Northeast prefers to stay aloof and isolated. We need to show them our hospitality and candidness and appeal to their guilty conscience to stop treating us as foreigners in our own country.

The biggest question that remains is why do people feel threatened in their own backyard? It is only insecurity that can lead a person to resort to violence. The disturbing state of the education system in India keeps the countrymen ignorant of the vast diversity that exists in our great nation. The rate of unemployment further adds to the frustration of the indigenous people who see outsiders as mere competition. Peaceful co-existence can be turned into a reality only through the combined effort of the bureaucrats and the populace.

For those who doubt the nationality of an individual: If you want to test the loyalty of an Indian, see the pride shimmering in his eyes while holding the Tricolour high and mighty!

Megha Jhunjhunwala